BOSTON – All four televisions in the Red Sox clubhouse were tuned to the Blue Jay-Yankee matinee yesterday. It was more about programming than obsession, a choice of Derek Jeter over soap operas and game shows.

A few Red Sox watched the game, most ignored it or took an occasional peek as they dressed for batting practice before a series finale against the White Sox. The last out in Toronto’s 8-3 triumph brought no overt happiness to Boston’s clubhouse, no signs of a positive development in a pennant race.

Red Sox personnel noted the calendar. Only fools get giddy in May, although this season certainly has given the Boston faithful reasons for giddiness. A new ownership regime took over Feb. 27 and quickly extinguished the insular, fan/media-unfriendly nature that had existed for years.

Fenway Park went from dour to one of the happiest places on earth inside and outside the home clubhouse. Even after losing 2-0 last night, the Red Sox have much to celebrate. Boston is 30-13, its second best 43-game record ever. Things can hardly be better, except for one small matter – the Red Sox are playing great and the Yanks are unshaken and right behind them.

Now Red Sox players did their best to minimize where the teams stand with their wonderful rivalry renewing tonight. Tony Clark echoed the common sentiment, that it was vital that the Red Sox “keep the focus on our own business.” Manager Grady Little and Carlos Baerga put a twist of sorts on matters, though, with Baerga saying, “maybe [the Yanks] are frustrated to play so well lately and still find themselves behind us.”

But the reality is Boston’s 43-game record this season is just two games off what Seattle had last year en route to tying the major-league win record (116). However, the Mariners already led the AL West by 11 games while the Red Sox are just one up on the Yanks and are 6-6 in their last 12 games, the last 10 played without top hitter Manny Ramirez, who is out with a fractured finger for at least another month.

In other words, it’s possible history is repeating itself; that the Red Sox are once more positioned for a big, Yankee-instigated fall. Over the next four games, Boston sends out its best starters against a Yankee team suddenly grasping for pitching health. Still, with everything Boston has accomplished to date, the Yanks could leave Fenway in first place. Curses.

“For me, it’s boring to ask about the Yankees,” said Pedro Martinez, who starts tonight against Ted Lilly. “There’s no rivalry. I love Bernie Williams. I love Derek Jeter. It’s just competition. We are not part of that Babe Ruth stuff.”

Last May 30, a frustrated Martinez reacted to the negative Red Sox history with the Yanks by saying he would like to plunk The Bambino in the butt. Not long after, Martinez’ arm began hurting and Boston tumbled into familiar misery.

So, even in this era of good Red Sox feelings, you wonder when the pinstriped-shoe falls. Except the New England-area fans have yet to swirl into normal Calvinist pessimism. The folks up here tell you much of it has to do with the Patriots’ shocking title run, which has fueled a notion anything can happen. And here are the Celtics playing the less-heralded member of the YankeeNets Corporation for the Eastern Conference title.

“The electricity of the Patriots has not worn off, the fans are still pumped,” said Boston bench coach Mike Stanley.

The fans up here want to believe it is now the Red Sox’s turn. They want to believe Pedro (6-0) and Nomar Garciaparra (.299) are fully healthy and dynamic again. That Derek Lowe (7-1, 1.90) and Shea Hillenbrand (.321) are baseball gifts from heaven. “We’ve made believers of everyone in the clubhouse,” Little said.

That belief, whether Boston personnel acknowledges it or not, could be deepened or doused to a degree this weekend. The Red Sox might be able to ignore the Yankees on TV. But the show is live the next four days at Fenway and the last thing the Red Sox want New England talking about Monday morning is a Cursed show that has been in re-runs for eight decades.